Sponsored by the Linux distributor Red Hat Inc.,the Fedora project has introduced a new scholarship program for students around the globe who have contributed to free software, particularly to the Fedora project.

Ricky Zhou, the first recipient of a scholarship, will be attending Carnegie Mellon University this autumn. Zhou qualified on many levels, working with teams on the websites, localization, and package maintenance.

Fedora evaluates its applicants on the quality of their work, the amount of time spent contributing to the project, and references provided by other Fedora members. Successful candidates are awarded US$ 2000 over a four-year period. Fedora/Red Hat also provides funding for travel and lodging at the Fedora User and Developer Conference nearest their place of study for four years.

The application window for 2009 opens September 1, 2008, and closes February 16, 2009.